In the midst of Winter
by Kurush Wuzurg
Summary: Negi left Japan for a small vacation to his hometown. But he gets lost on the way, and meets one of the most unlikely antropormorphic personifications ever. Merry Xmas to you all.


**A/N: This is a one-shot. Thought I'd make a small contribution to the Christmas craze. Merry Christmas to all of you!**

* * *

The winter was always a harsh terrain for people. In Wales, that was a true notion. Negi had been given some time off from his class and come home to see his cousin and Anya. Unfortunately, he had been caught in a blizzard. The young magi had gotten lost in his journey throughout Wales, with no one but his familiar Chamo with him.

"Aniki." Chamo called to Negi, as they flew in this storm. "We won't get anywhere like this! We got to land!"

"You're right." Negi responded and the two landed. Shame they couldn't see where they landed, otherwise they would not have slipped and fallen down.

Negi didn't how far he had crashed, or where he was for that matter, but it hurt. He wished he had taken the bus to Wales instead, and not taken off from the outskirts of London once the bus had taken off so he couldn't be seen. The increasing amount of snow didn't help much either, as it was covering him up.

"Aniki! Are you okay?" Chamo called to the young master, but he was unconscious. "Aniki! Wake up! You could die here!" Chamo tried again, waving his tail in front of Negi's nose to make him sneeze and wake up, but it didn't work. He was going to call again, when he heard bells jingle nearby and in their direction. A massive sleigh drawn by... strangely enough, caribou came by and stopped when the driver spotted someone unconscious by his road. "Could you help me, please?" Chamo asked the driver, who looked out to see the young boy lying there.

"Oh dear, we can't have this happening." The Driver said and stepped out to pick up the young boy and put him next to the driver's seat on the sleigh. "Come on, you too." He called to Chamo, who jumped up.

It was only now that Chamo noticed how the driver was dressed. He wore a large red coat with white cuffs and collar, along with matching trousers. He also had a black belt with equally black boots made in leather. Finally, he wore black leather fingerless gloves and with a white cuffed red hat that had a little fluffy spot on the end. "You wouldn't happen to be...?"

"Oh... no, no, no, I'm not _The_ Father Christmas. I happen to be _a_ Father Christmas. It's a business. Hiya!" He said before driving the caribou on. Around that time, Negi began to wake up.

"Ooof... ow, what happened back there?" Negi asked, noting that he was sitting on the sleigh. "Wha?"

"Ah, you're awake." The Father Christmas said, gaining the young magi's attention. "Got a little worried there."

"Father Christmas?"

"_A _Father Christmas." the sleigh driver responded. "I saw you lying down unconscious by this path, so I decided to help you out. Is there anywhere you need to go?"

"I'm heading for Pembrook. Do you know where that lies?"

"Oh yes, I'm heading there right now." The sleigh driver responded. "My name is Noël Télapó."

"Ah, my name is Negi Springfield." The young magi introduced himself as well.

The journey went on silent at first. After some time, Negi had begun a discussion with this... Noël person. "So you're a Father Christmas? I thought there was only one."

"Oh no, there are more than just me working around the world where there is snow. Everywhere, magi gather together to bring gifts to the mundane children. It's one small thing we do in order to keep the people happy, and also to drive some skeptics crazy. But you didn't hear that from me, okay?" Noël responded back, hustling his hand on the last part.

"Secret's safe with me." Negi said. It took some time before they reached Pembrook, Negi's home town. Most of all besides willing to help Noël deliver all the gifts that the villagers wanted, Negi just wanted to get in his old bed in his room. Noël could understand that. "Good luck, mr. Noël."

"And good journeys to you, young Springfield." the Father Christmas responded at him. "And do remember, even if you think you're alone, your friends are always there for you..." A slight on his nose, and Negi didn't sit in the sleigh anymore.

* * *

"Where is he?" Asuna asked, looking out the window. She, Konoka, Setsuna and Nodoka had traveled all the way to Pembrook courtesy of a spell the bookworm had found. But all four of them needed a visit to the lavatory after it was done. Long-distance teleportation seems to have a... negative reaction on one's stomach inventory, makes it all come back up. "He should be here by now."

"I'm asking the same." Anya, the little redhead pyromancer responded. She had come over to Nekane's house for Christmas, and the one person whom they needed before the celebrations, wasn't there. "Negi doesn't seem to bother about us this year."

"Don't say that, Anya-chan." Konoka said, coming out of the kitchen after helping Nekane making the food. "Negi-kun could be just a little late, that's all. I'm sure."

Setsuna was sitting on the couch, too busy reading a book she had found. First edition of _A Christmas Carol._ Not knowing about much of Christmas, the swordswoman had found the book quite, intriguing. She had just come to the part where Scrooge met the Ghost of Christmas present and- "Setsuna-san!"

"Huh, what?" She exclaimed upon hearing her name. "Sorry. It's a good book. Couldn't help it."

"Look-" Asuna began, but she was just too tired to find the words. "I'm just on edge, that's all. Put that book back where you found it, and then we'll go out looking for him, alright?" She asked her friend.

"Sure." Setsuna rose up from her seat on the couch and went up the stairs to put the book back in the shelf in that lone room that she had discovered on her own little expedition through the house. Entering that room, and putting back the book on the shelf, she did notice a form lying on the bed, sound asleep and under the duvet. "Guys." She called to the others downstairs.

* * *

"Sometimes I wonder, how does he do that?" Asuna asked herself, watching Negi asleep in his room. "He manages to slip in here without us noticing. Really, how does he do that in a blizzard and all exhausted?"

"You tell me." Setsuna retorted to that. "I'd like to know that as well." Asuna and the others looked at her. "Er, I mean... how he did so in a blizzard. It's not like I want to know it too."

"Well, he's home now." Nekane intervened the two. "And that's what matters. Come, let's leave him for now and let him sleep. I'm sure he'll be up in the morning."

"Right then." Asuna said and closed the door to Negi's room, having plans on going in the same bed later that evening.

**

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A/N: A shortie, I know. But that's it for now. I intend now to continue with my biggie, and Merry Christmas to all of you.

**- Incidentally, if you don't know who that Father Christmas really was, you deserve a proper date with the business end of something involving a wooden mallet and ice cubes.**


End file.
